Lady Alexia of Naxen
by sweetchick
Summary: a lady with attitude
1. chapter 1

Lady Alexia of Naxen  
  
  
  
Lady Alexia was an arresting sight she had long black hair and blue-green eyes. She was about 5'5" tall with a slim figure. For the last few years she had been the student of Numair with her weather magic and healing gift. But now she was to become a lady in waiting to princess Shinkokami as she belonged to one of the most important houses in Tortall and she was not happy. The other lady in waiting from tortall was lady Nania of Queenscove, a girl she actually liked, thank the goddess otherwise she would be long gone. She was now on her way to meet the princess along with lady Nania and was late. If the princess were to bad she would be on her way to Tyra to live with her mother, Queen Cythera. Her mother had recently left her father lord Gareth of Naxen though that was meant to be a secret but nobody was sure why. Ahead she saw the dark haired, green-eyed lady Nania waiting outside. "Hurry up Alex, your late again." Cried Nania worriedly. Alexia soon reached the door and politely knocked on it. "Come in." commanded the accented voice of the princess. Every body in the room looked up when the door opened they were rewarded when they saw beautiful Alexia stroll in. Thayet inwardly groaned, she had told Gary to tell his daughter to act properly. Actually he probably had told her, Alexia never listened to what her father told her. " Hello I'm lady Alexia of Naxen and this is lady Nania of Queenscove," she pointed at the smaller girl who walked through the door and curtseyed. At least one of them behaved properly Thayet thought. Seeing Nania curtsey, Alexia promptly curtseyed to the degree of one princess to another. Shinkokami looked aghast that a lady should not curtsey properly till Thayet hastily explained. " Lady Alexia's other title is princess of Tyra." Shinkokami still did not look very happy but attempted to make conversation. "So lady Alexia what do you think of needlework. "I think it's boring. I prefer practicing my archery, so much more useful." Oh no Thayet thought. "Sometimes I ask the animals to play tricks on people that's when the fun really starts." Continued Alexia grinning wickedly. Luckily for Thayet the bell rang and she ushered everybody outside. "What do you think of your two new ladies in waiting?" Thayet ventured. "I think I'll like lady Nania. But lady Alexia could cause trouble." Replied Shinkokami. "Don't worry I'll have a word with her. If I'm lucky she'll listen to me." Said Thayet.  
  
Later that afternoon Alexia was just about to start getting ready when a knock sounded on the door. "It's open." She called to the person waiting outside. She wasn't very surprised when she saw it was Thayet. "Wondered when you'd get round to complaining about my behavior earlier." She said as she brushed her hair. Even before she opened her mouth she could see this wasn't going to work. "Alexia will you try and behave." Thayet asked tentively. "I'll try, don't hold your breath." Alexia's answer was short and Thayet left knowing that was the best she was going to get. "What was her majesty doing here?" Enquired Alexia's maid, jess who had been doing Alexia's bath in the other room. "Don't know, wasn't really listening." Alexia drawled as she undressed and climbed into her bath. " Think it was along the lines of please behave."  
  
2 hours later Alexia was ready to go she had chose to wear a light pink dress with sapphires, which accented her blue- green eyes, around her neck. A touch of face paint made her look magnificent. Most people said she could rival the queen and they were not wrong. She hurried on to the top of the ballroom stairs where the princess and the other three ladies in waiting waited. "Here comes Alexia, late again." Joked Nania on the other hand princess Shinkokami looked furious. Shinkokami was about to launch into an attack when the herald announced. "Princess Shinkokami and her ladies in waiting lady Haname noh Ajikuro, lady Yukimi noh Daiomoru, lady Alexia of Naxen and lady Nania of Queenscove. They moved down the stairs. Most people turned to look at Alexia and not the princess for she outshined everybody with her. They were quickly introduced to there majesties and were soon asked to dance. Alexia's partner was a 16 yr old called Faleron of King's reach. One dance turned into many more and they had such a good time that Alexia did not notice a boy staring at her from across the room. The boy or man was his Royal Highness prince Roald. He had noticed Alexia many weeks' ago but had not plucked up courage to speak to her, as he watched her and Faleron dance jealousy rose in his throat. He had not even spoken to the lady yet but he was already in love. A touch at his elbow made him turn it was is fiancée Shinkokami. He turned to speak to her making a mental note to speak to lady Alexia later.  
  
The next morning Alexia woke up feeling groggy, why did her body make her drink so much? Jess bobbed in carrying a steaming mug of hang over cure. "I thought you might be needing this." She grinned. Alexia forced herself to drink it. She had a meeting with her father this morning and having a headache would be murder especially as she usually got a headache as soon as she walked through the door of his study. She quickly dressed and blindly walked out the room, banging into a strong body. She stepped back and looked into the blue eyes of the prince. "Hello lady Alexia, I wondered if you would like an escort to your fathers study." The prince inquired. " I'd be honored your majesty." She replied uncertainly. "Oh please call me Roald." They soon arrived at the prime ministers study and Alexia was not sorry to say goodbye. As he left she knocked on the door. "Come in." the person inside called. Uh oh he sounds angry Alexia thought 


	2. chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
  
  
"Alexia, the queen has been talking to me." Sir Gareth of Naxen said sternly. "And." Alexia replied in a bored voice. "I agree with her, your behavior towards the Yamani princess is unacceptable." The prime minister carried on "what you going to do about it." Retaliated Alexia, this was how all there conversations normally happened. "We haven't actually decided." "Well then you won't mind me leaving then." Alexia once out the room nearly had a tantrum. She could not stand her father, in her opinion he was a mean pig. She was so caught up in thinking horrible thoughts about her father that she didn't watch were she was going and bumped in Yuki. " Oh hi Yuki. I didn't see you sorry." Apologized Alexia, she liked Yuki and Haname. Just not the stuck-up princess. "The princess requests your presence this moment. Please follow me." When they reached the princess's room and went in the princess and her other ladies were there doing embroidery. Alexia was handed one and sat down by the window to embroider, she was too tired to argue. But soon she was fast asleep curled up like a cat by the window. She woke up to the sound of laughter and an angry princess was in her face. "Hey your in my sun." Alexia complained pointing at the weak winter sun coming through the window. "Does embroidery bore you lady Alexia?" The princess asked trying to hide her anger. "Well actually it does your highness." Alexia replied sarcastically. Thayet, hidden in the corner sighed. Obviously her Father had not got through to her either. Shinkokami proclaimed that everybody could go now and with one last nasty look at Alexia the princess walked into her bathroom. Alexia poked her tongue out back and skipped out her room and to where Raoul had his rooms. She stopped outside one and knocked on a door. A voice called out "come in." Alexia walked in and smiled at the 14 yr old lying on the bed, surrounded by sparrows. "Hi Kel." Alexia called. "Hi Alex been annoying Shinko again." Kel asked with a trace of laughter in her voice. "What has she been telling you?" asked Alexia hanging off the bed and rubbing Jump the dog's tummy. "Oh just that you ignorance is beyond compare and your totally self- centered." Replied Kel. "Oh, I think revenge is in order don't you?" Alexia asked lazily. "As long as you don't bring my name into it Alex I won't say. It was you. Deal?" Inquired Kel. "Deal." Alexia replied wickedly. She was going to have fun tonight. There was no ball, which meant she'd have plenty of time to act out her plan. Shinkokami was going to regret any thing she'd said about Alexia. Back in her room Alexia called on her weather magic to make hail to drum on the princess's window all night to keep her awake. Then Alexia got the moths in Shinkokami's wardrobe to eat holes in her clothes. Alexia didn't do any thing else she needed to save some stuff for other nights.  
  
The next morning Alexia was woken up by jess, who had a worried look on her face. She stood to the side and there was her father and queen Thayet standing at the door. Alexia's father kept his voice calm but anger glittered in his eyes. "Alexia, Thayet and I know it was you who called the hail to Shinkokami's window and got the moths to eat her clothes. So you better apologize." Gary said. "Of course I shall be there in ½ an hour if you just excuse me to get dressed." Alexia said politely, shutting the door on them. As soon as the door was shut Alexia pulled out a bag and started throwing clothes and money in it. Jess knowing what she was doing started sobbing. "Oh my lady. I'm going to miss you so much. Good luck." She said between sobs. Alexia was now dressing in breeches and tying back her hair. "I'll miss you to Jess, give this note to my father." She hugged jess good- bye and walked out the door. When got down to the stables she started to saddle up her horse. A voice though made her turn around. "And where are you going my lady." Alexia turned round and there stood the prince and Faleron. "I'm going away." She replied not letting them here the sadness in her voice. "Then I'm coming with you, to protect you." Grinned Faleron and started saddling his horse. "Actually were running away to." Responded Faleron to her look that said what about your stuff. The prince had saddled up his horse now. "If were ready let's start moving." They rode out stopping once to wave goodbye to the palace, and then carried on wondering what would happen next.  
  
To be continued (duh) 


	3. chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
5 days later  
  
"I don't know why you 3 decided to run away." Alexia sighed and let her mind wander away from the queen's voice, they had been caught the day before near port Caynn by the king's own and now they were really getting shouted at. "Alexia will you do me the honor of telling me why you ran away." "I'm bored of being a lady-in-waiting to Shinkokami." Alexia replied. "Roald why did you go." "I'm bored of Shinkokami." "And Faleron what about you." "Shinkokami kept coming onto me and I was like go away." Faleron whispered quietly, glancing around as if he expected her to come storming through the door." Thayet put her head in her hands and groaned; things were getting worse and worse. "Wait outside while I speak to your parents." She barked. As they waited outside. "I bet my mother doesn't even know I went. My father won't have told her." Alexia complained. They could now hear raised voices coming from the room they had just left. "Gary we going to have to send her to her mothers, or you can take her home to Naxen and leave her with your father." That voice was Gary. "She is not going to her mothers or to Naxen She is staying her with me." The prime minister retorted. "I have a solution." This was the musical voice of countess Ionia of king's reach, Faleron's mother. "Sir Gareth you know the agreement we have for next year, well Faleron takes his ordeal this year, in a week actually. I propose that after this midwinter she comes back to king's reach with me to learn to be a proper countess." Alexia gasped, she was to marry Faleron. He didn't know, he was talking to Roald and hadn't been listening. Why did they pick her she wasn't really a proper lady, though it was better than being a lady-in-waiting. The door now creaked open and the three teenagers were ushered inside. " We have come to a decision." The calm voice of the king rang out. "Alexia you will be heading to king's reach with countess Ionia, to become a proper lady. Faleron after you've been knighted you will be going up to Scanra and Roald you will marry Shinkokami whether you want to or not. Now go away all of you." As they all left the room they started complaining "all the way to king's reach. I cannot handle that." Alexia complained loudly. "Think yourself lucky, I have to go and fight in Scanra even if I'd have had to do that anyway, it's still not fair." Faleron complained even louder. "You to got the better end of the stick. I still have to marry Shinkokami." Roald shouted down the corridor.  
  
Two weeks later  
  
Alexia stared out the window at the fast appearing castle and sighed, Her betrothal to Faleron had been announced and she was less than happy about it. She was now on her way to King's reach, to learn how to be a proper countess, at least princess Kalasin would be there to talk to. By this time they had now reached the main entrance and a footman had opened the carriage door. Alexia alighted carefully only to be almost knocked off her feet by a tall 16 yr old. "Alexia I'm so glad you're here. Now I have someone to moan to about the old bat." Alexia giggled, it was good to be around Kalasin again, she always had something funny to say about people. They chatted as they entered the castle. Alexia asked if Kalasin was looking forward to her brothers wedding. "I am kind of, but I don't really like Shinkokami she's too big for her boot's." they had now arrived at Alexia's rooms. Kalasin told Alexia dinner was in an hour and then disappeared leaving Alexia to enter her room. The rooms were simply furnished to a style that Alexia liked. There was a bedroom, a dressing room and a walk in closet. Alexia quickly unpacked and changed for dinner. She had just finished when a knock sounded on the door. It was Kalasin. "It's time for dinner now." She said. "When we enter the dining room we walk up to the countess and count and curtsey. We then sit on a table with their other children on the next level down from them. Got that." Alexia nodded, and when they arrived at the dining hall she got through the routine with out a hitch. The younger children viewed their aunt to be with apprehension. But Alexia made friends with them when she got mice to climb all over them. When she got back to her rooms she quickly fell asleep.  
  
Next morning she woke to bird song coming from outside her room and quickly got dressed. Kalasin was soon at her door to take her down to breakfast. Luckily the count and countess were too sleepy in the mornings to make them do anything formal. The days there consisted of needlework, literacy, numeracy and etiquette. But Alexia's favorite lesson was self- defense. Eleven month's had passed quickly and Kalasin was long gone when Alexia was called to the countesses rooms. "My dear it is time for you to head back to court for your marriage to my son. Now hurry up and pack."  
  
Alexia could now see the carriage from the coach. It was good to be back even if it was because she was due to marry. She could see her friends waiting for her and it made her smile it would be good to be back. She couldn't wait. 


End file.
